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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
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He said (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, twenty or thirty years ago, the cleanliness and hygiene situation here were really bad. There were refuse black spots all over our streets and alleys and the public was in the habit of spitting and littering all over the place. In light of the situation, in 1972, Government arranged for the Urban Council and various Government departments to form the Keep Hong Kong Clean Committee for the launching of the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign. The Campaign sought to legislate and enforce laws for keeping clean, educating the public and maintaining household and street cleanliness. 'It is everyone's duty to keep Hong Kong Clean' was made the theme of publicity for the Campaign. From then onwards, the hygiene environment in Hong Kong has continued to improve.
In 1986, the Regional Council was established. In order to launch the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign as a concerted effort, a joint Urban Council and Regional Council Keep Hong Kong Clean Steering Committee (the Joint Steering Committee) was formed. It cooperated with various Government departments in launching the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign, formulating Campaign policies, co-ordinating activities and reviewing in light of practical experience in launching the Campaign relevant policies and strategies to cope with the changing needs of society.
In 1988, an Action Committee comprised of representatives of the two Municipal Services Departments, the Information Services Department, Education Department, Home Affairs Department, Agriculture and Fisheries Department, Housing Department and Marine Department was formed to implement plans of the Joint Steering Committee and provide assistance to other Government departments as required.
All along, the target of the Campaign has been keeping Hong Kong clean through publicity, education, enforcement and improvement of amenity upkeep. In fact, the civic awareness of ‘making Hong Kong our home and joining in cleaning efforts' has been rising. Our environmental hygiene has improved. In recent years, we have also exerted efforts in calling for the participation of District Boards and community groups. Our call has received good response and support.
Since reunification to China, Hong Kong met with food hygiene problems, one after the other. To name a few, there were scares of cholera, mad cow disease, listeria, avian flu, poisonous vegetables, poisonous fish etc. The red tide with dead fish became the most recent threat. People associate these to our hygiene condition and ask whether we are facing big problems. Are various threats attributable to our deteriorating degree of cleanliness? I am sure the association is inappropriate and unjust 100.
Let us try to analyse the picture. Poisonous vegetables and fish were imported. The mad cow disease and listeria were brought in from outside. Chicken, geese and ducks were imported. Virus was found here, but as to from where and how the virus was brought in, it is hard to trace the source.
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